Letter-box



(No Model.)

D. ROSBNTHAL. LETTER B0X.

No. 410,379. Patented Sept. 3, 1889.

WIT/VESSES: VENTO/:

wg@ Wm? Lm' diag/:vere

N. PLYERS, PhokvL'hogmpher. Washington. DYC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ROSENTHAL, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,379, dated September 3, 1889.

Application filed March 26, 1889.

T @ZZ whom' t may con/cern:

Be it known that I, DAvID RosENTHAL, of Hudson, in the county of Columbia and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in letter-boxes, and has for its object to provide a box of this character which shall have two compartments, one adapted to receive letters and the other to receive papers and similar articles.

A further object of the invention is to provide each co1npartment with a door, and to so connect the doors of both compartments that when, for instance, the upper door is opened the lower door will be automatically opened also, and vice versa.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar iigures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an end view of my improved box. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on line oc fr of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line y ly ot' Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a similar section on line z z of the same figure.

In carrying out the invention the body of the box Inay be of any desired shape, being preferably made rectangular in contour, with an overhanging top 11.

The box is divided into two compartments 12 and 13 by a transverse partition 14, the upper compartment 12 being adapted to contain letters, and the lower compartment 13 papers or articles of like nature. A door 15 is made to cover the opening produced in one end of the box, which opening leads into the compartment 12, and another door 16 is hinged to the same end of the boX below the said door 15, covering the openingleading into the lower or paper compartment 13, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The upper door 15 has attached to its inner face at each side an inwardly-extending plate 17, forming side panels, the lower end of which panels is provided with a stopdug 18,

Serial No. 304,820. (No model.)

adapted for contact with the inner wall of the boX above, the .opening covered by the door 15, when the said door is opened, or carried down to the horizontal position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the said stoplug being thus adapted to limit the downward movement of the door and relieve the hinges from'all strain'.

To one of the side panels 17 of the upper door a rod 19 is pivoted at one end, which rod, when the door is closed, extends diagonally within the boX essentially to a contact with the upper surface of the transverse partition 14, as shown in positive lines in Fig. 2.

In the partition 14, at that side of the box in which the rod 19 is located, a slot 20 is produced, extending nearly from end to end, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Through the said slot 2O a second bar or rod 21 is upwardly proj ected to a pivotal connection with the inner end of the upper bar or rod 19. The outer end of the lower bar or rod 21 is weighted, as illustrated at 22 in Fig. 4, and pivotally attached to a stud or post 23, forming an integral portion of the inner face of the lower door 1G, which stud or post is located at one side of the said door.

Above the upper door 15 the box is provided with the usual lidded opening 24, through which the letters are introduced into the compartment 12, and a similar lidded opening 25 is produced in the lower door 16 for the introduction of the papers or similar articles into the lower compartment 13.

The doors may be hinged to the box in any suitable or approved manner, and instead of being located in the end they may be located in the side of the box, or at any other desired point.

The upper door is provided with a staple 26, adapted to receive a hasp 27, hinged to the box above the opening closed by the said door. The upper door is usually locked in the ordinary manner by a padlock 28, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The connecting-rods 1Q and 2l, which virtually constitute links, are of such length that when the upper door is closed the upper link will be made to travel inward, thereby drawing the lower link in the same direction, and as the upper door is brought to a closed position the lower door is also tight-ly closed.

IOO

Thus by locking the upper door the lower door is also locked.

It is obvious that when the lock is removed from the upper door and the said door is carried down to the horizontal position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 the upper link or connecting-rod 19 will be drawn outward, and will cause the lower connecting link or rod 2l to push open the lower door, the drop of the lower door being` facilitated by the weight at the lower extremity of the said lower connecting rod or link. X/Vhen the doors are in this position, both the compartments of the box may be conveniently and expeditiously emptied.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a box having an upper and lower compartment each provided with an opening in its side, of hinged doors closing the said openings, and rods pivoted together and to the said doors, whereby both doors will be simultaneously opened or closed, substantially as described.

2. In a letter-box, the combination, with a body divided into lcompartments, each compartment provided with an opening covered by a hinged door, of'panels secured to the inner face of the upper door, and a link-connection between one panel of the upper door and the inner face of the lower door, substantially as shown and described, whereby the movement of the upper door will control the movement ot' the lower door, as set forth.

3. In a letter-box, the combination, with a' body divided into compartments by a partition provided with a slot at one side, and each compartment having an opening covered by a hinged door, of panels secured to the inner face of the upper door, links or connectingrods pivoted to each other and to the panel of the upper door and the inner face of the Vlower door, the lower link extending upward in the box through the slot in the partition, all combined for operation, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a letter-box, the combination, with a body divided into compartments by a transverse partition having a slot in one side, each compartment provided with an opening covered by a hinged door, of panels secured to the upper door and provided with stop-lugs at one end, a link or connecting-bar pivoted to one of the panels of the upper door, a second link or connecting-rod pivoted to the upper link and to the inner face of the lower door, said lower link provided with a weighted lower extremity and extending' upward through the slot in the partition, all combined for operation,substantially as shown and doscribed.

5. A letter-box divided into two compartments, each compartment provided with an opening covered by a hinged door, and aconncction between the upper and the lower door, whereby the upper door controls the i movement of the lower one, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

DAVID ROSENTHAL. Witnesses:

WV. R. ETTING, C. A. VAN HoEsEN. 

